Brooklyn is hurting, having lost seven of their last 10 games to fall all the way back to .500. Just a few weeks ago, the Nets were thought to be one of the best teams in the East along with New York and Miami. Now, they’re struggling to stay afloat in the playoff race. They need a fall guy. Enter Avery Johnson.
Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted this afternoon that a league source says Brooklyn has fired Johnson after the team’s 14-14 start. Wojnarowski also reports the Nets have named assistant P.J. Carlesimo as the interim head coach.
We knew there were rumblings of trouble in the locker room, especially after Deron Williams publicly questioned how well he fit into Johnson’s offense. Combine the star’s disgruntled start to the season with huge expectations and a slipping squad, and honestly, this isn’t all that surprising, even when you factor in this (courtesy of Brett Pollakoff): Johnson was the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month in October and November… then got fired in December.
Was this the right move?
Follow Sean on Twitter at @SEANesweeney.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
